Turning the career corner

FORMER Australian Supersport champion Troy Herfoss has opted against returning overseas to race, citing a lack of integrity in the sport as motive for his decision.

The 25-year-old announced his intentions to get away from motor racing competitively on Thursday and unleashed on the sport’s upper echelon.

“I’m not forced to stay at home, I just don’t like what racing’s becoming,” he said.

“I can win every race next year, but if I don’t have the money, I can’t go to the world champs.”

Herfoss in February joined Dutch outfit RAC Racing eager to make a name for himself in the German-based IDM Superbike Championship.

His contract was terminated in September despite reasonable on track performances and without thorough explanation from the team’s management.

Herfoss returned home to Goulburn to settle down and ponder his next move.

Now, it seems, he has no desire to head back overseas.

The 2010 Australian Supersport champion and 2008 American AMA Supermoto winner, last year inducted into Goulburn’s Sporting Hall of Fame, broke the news with a letter posted on his website on Thursday morning.

“This is a small letter for the people who have supported me through many years of striving for my goals of making a career from racing at the highest level,” he wrote.

“I am sad to say I will not be going back overseas in 2013. For eight years now I have devoted my life to racing professionally, I feel blessed to have raced in different motorcycling disciplines all around the world and have been able to meet a lot of great people. I have my reasons and they are my own.”

Herfoss says the decision wasn’t down to a lack of options.

“I am not doing this because I have been forced to, I have a contract in front of me as I write this letter,” he wrote.

“The enjoyment I get from racing hasn’t changed, I love everything about it from winning a national championship down to trail riding with my dad, the problem is winning is no longer enough.

“Gone are the days that you win your national championship and have options to move on.”

Instead of tearing around tracks in Europe, he’ll take life a little slower.

“I’m only going to something that suits me… Something that’s fun,” he said.

“I’ve done really well with racing. Not only did I not get anything out of it, I got the sack.”

Herfoss doesn’t regret his eight year tenure overseas, both in the United States and Europe.

Performing to a high standard and winning on foreign tracks for which he had little knowledge are highlights.